


You Make My Circuits Go “Doki Doki”

by PurrfectCatastrophe



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Tachibana parents, Robot!Rei, Robot/Human Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:52:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1649282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrfectCatastrophe/pseuds/PurrfectCatastrophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto isn't sure why the robot that's supposed to be the twins babysitter is waking him up after exactly  hours of sleep</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Make My Circuits Go “Doki Doki”

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based of that tumblr post http://roboticdreams.tumblr.com/post/84422157877/robot-friend-who-very-diligently-wakes-you-up
> 
> I wrote another thing based of that with Haru!Rei but then I got a message that said-
> 
> lovelytitania asked you:  
> Do the Robot!Rei. Imagine this beauty-obsessed robot that feels like his master is the most beautiful being, and is totally enamoured by them, wants to spend time with them, learn so much more about them. Oh gosh soo cute!
> 
> And I just had to write another thing centered around MakoRei.

The robot wasn’t even his. His parents had bought the robot so someone could watch after the twins when they couldn’t be home. This as of late started to become more often since their jobs were getting more and more demanding of them. With after school activities keeping Makoto away from home getting the robot had seemed like the best option. They spent weeks trying to pick out the perfect caretaker and had finally settled on one that would be somewhat similar to Makoto for the twins convenience.

His name was Rei as he so proudly stated upon being turned on the day he was dropped off. He was packed full of information on things like nutrition, child care, animals, school subjects up to university level, and all the latest knowledge of things kids around Ren and Ran age liked. Much to Makoto’s dismay he was also very handsome. He tried not to stare at those vibrant purple eyes or the small pout on his face which was his default expression, ignore how well built he was or the way he tilted his head upon learning their names.

Suddenly Makoto was a little jealous that the twins would be spending so much time with him.

The twins loved him from the get go. He would play video games with them, prepare them all sorts of beautiful food art for them to eat, and even help with homework (though Makoto had to step in and explain that filling everything out for them was not helping). Makoto would come home to sometimes find Rei explaining to one twin how sharks hunt for food while having his hair tired up in pigtails by the other. It was almost as if they had adopted another son. 

The robot was the perfect caretaker for the twins so why in heaven’s name is he waking Makoto up at 10AM on a weekend? 

“You have slept for your full eight hours your body is fully rested it is time you wake up.” Rei informed him while shaking him gently. Makoto groaned and grabbed his pillow to cover his face in an attempt to ignore Rei. 

There was no way this could be happening. 

He had come late last night after a very rough training session with his club and pretty much passed out when Rei allowed him to do so. The robot had refused to let Mako go to bed without eating something and brushing his teeth. Only by the grace of some god did he get to skip a shower in favor of sleeping as soon as possible.

“Why again are you waking me up at exactly eight hours?” Makoto asks voice still hoarse from lack of use. It’s much too early to be dealing with this.

“I have actually allowed you an extra thirty seconds of rest which I thought you would be grateful for.” Rei states matter-of-factly as he takes the pillow away. Makoto squints up at him and glares slightly as if that will help the situation. He may be hot but that doesn’t excuse his actions that easily.

“Gee thank you oh kind sir I shall treasure those thirty seconds forever.” He mutters sarcastically as he tries to take his pillow back. Rei stares at him unblinkingly for a moment which makes Makoto shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. He’s about to say something when Rei blinks and speaks again.

“I detect high levels of sarcasm in that last statement, did I not do something at or above satisfactory level?” Rei asks with a slight tilt of the head. How fucking dare he actually look upset about this? Makoto somehow feels guilty for his words now and sighs deeply before sitting up.

“No it’s just sometimes eight hours isn’t enough especially for someone like me who just did a four hour training session with my club last night.” Makoto explains as he stands up and takes the pillow from Rei to toss it back onto his bed. “But I should get up anyway I have homework I need to finish.” Makoto gives him a smile before bending down to fix his bed. When he’s finished Rei is still standing there watching him. Makoto is about to ask if something is wrong when Ren runs in and grabs Rei’s hand asking if they can go to the park.

Rei says he’ll have to check with their parents’ first before they can do anything then begins talking about all the wonderful health benefits of a trip to the park. Makoto watches them leave his room still wondering what was going on in Rei’s mind.

\--

Rei still isn’t sure what’s wrong with him. He’s checked his systems exactly two thousand times since he was booted up and everything seems to be running as well as the day he was made. He can still answer complicated physic problems in a matter of minutes, prepare beautiful as well as tasty meals, none of his wires are out of place, and all of his sensors up to date. From a mechanics point of view he’s perfectly fine. 

Except he’s not behaving “perfectly fine”. 

Every time the oldest Tachibana offspring looks at him his body temporarily freezes. Mostly it happens when he looks him in the eyes. Another thing Rei has programmed into him is a passion of sorts for beautiful things and Tachibana Makoto was beautiful in every way. His eyes were a bright green that sparkled with happiness and life even when he was tired. His body well-toned from the time spent training also had a nice tan to it. Mostly his back was the most captivating but nothing like his smile. That smile made Rei’s sensors go wild, so much so he was afraid they would actually break.

Rei had left this part out his monthly report back to the company that made him. Every robot had to do a systems report to make sure they were still operating smoothly. If they got water in place they shouldn’t that was reported. If they took one too many falls that was reported as well it was just the rules. Rei knew that if they knew about this freezing issue he would shut down and replaced instantly. So every month he’d edit his report slightly and send it in. 

This was wrong and went against his programming (how he managed to override that he still had no idea) but it was worth it. Even if he was still trying to process why it was.

\--

“You have reached the maximum eight hours of sleep needed.”

Makoto sighs and tries to ignore the hand gently prodding him in his side. He is unable to however ignore Rei any longer when the robot yanks away his fluffy blanket. Makoto whines pathetically and curls up to try and conserve his rapidly retreating warmth. He’s being punished for something in a past life. That has to be the reason for this torture.

“I have allowed you an extra minute of sleep this time.” Rei tells him with a slight hint of… hopefulness? It’s hard to tell but he obviously thinks he’s done something right this time. Makoto looks up at Rei to find the robot staring at him as if he’s waiting for something.

“Thank you?” Makoto tries once he realizes it’s a response he wants.  
Then the freezing starts. Rei is frozen in his spot for a moment before blinking rapidly and tilting his head.

“That was a question. Did I not do well again?” He asks as the arm holding the blanket falls to his side with a dull thump. Rei looks upset which makes Makoto panic slightly and sit up much too fast. His vision blurs slightly but thankfully evens out quickly. Rei is going to drive him into an early grave. 

“No I just don’t understand why you keep insisting I get up after exactly eight hours” and one minute Rei reminds him “of sleep when it’s a weekend.” 

“My knowledge tells me that humans of your age group require a full eight hours of sleep to be fully rested.” Rei explains as if that fully answers his question. Makoto can’t help but find that endearing though. He stifles a chuckle and does his best to explain how teenagers actually work.

“Yes that’s true but sometimes we need a little more rest than normal; remember how I said yesterday with me being tired from training?”

“I understand now not to disturb you after training but you did not train yesterday.” Rei states with a childish seriousness that robots should not have. Makoto just sighs and changes the subject since he’s not getting anywhere with that discussion.

“May I ask the sudden interest in my sleeping schedule?”

“No.”

Well that was unexpected and blunt. Though understandable since Makoto did ask for permission to ask him the question. Makoto is about to order Rei to tell him anyway but Ran runs in crying at that moment and he loses the chance. Rei excuses himself to handle the situation leaving the eldest Tachibana to sort out his raging thoughts.

\--

“What is swimming like?” 

Makoto looks up from the dishes he’s washing to find Rei standing near the dinner table with a thoughtful expression. He had just put the twins to bed and normally he’d go into a temporary sleep mode as requested by the parental Tachibana’s. When in sleep mode he’d send a daily report to the parents to inform them of how things went during the day. Instead he was talking with Makoto for some reason.

“Wow that’s a tough question.” Makoto admits as he rubs at his face with a soap covered hand. Rei is already holding out a towel for him to use before Makoto even realizes what he had done. He chuckles and thanks Rei as he wipes the soap off his face. “I guess swimming is like flying? It can make you feel weightless and free? Gosh this is really hard to explain since it’s different for everyone.” Makoto smiles sheepishly at Rei slightly embarrassed at his poor explanation. 

“I think I understand.”

“Really?” That surprises Makoto. 

“No.”

“Ah well that’s to be expected, maybe I’ll have Haru-chan explain when he stops by for a visit.” Makoto suggests with a bright smile. Rei stops moving for a moment unable to process the sudden surge in his circuits. Makoto notices the pause asks if he’s alright.

Rei doesn’t respond verbally like normal instead he just nods and exits the kitchen leaving Makoto more confused than ever.

\--

“I think there’s something wrong with the robot my parents bought.” Makoto admits the next day during lunch. Nagisa makes a questioning noise as he chews the large bite of his yakisoba bread. Haru spares Makoto a glance to show his interest before going back to his own lunch.

“What do you mean?” Rin asks as he steals a strawberry from Nagisa’s bento box.

“Suddenly he’s taking an interest in how long I sleep. Waking me up at after I’ve had exactly eight hours of a sleep and last night he took an interest in swimming asking me how it felt.”

“Amazing.”

“Not helping Haru. Anyway he also randomly freezes up.”

“Is there a reason as to why? Like did he get water in his circuit board or something stupid like that?” Rin asks as he holds out one arm to keep Nagisa from attacking him over the strawberry he stole.

“I don’t think so… I asked the twins if he ever froze on them and they said no so I guess it must be something else.”

“Maybe it’s you.” Nagisa suggests as he manages to bop Rin on the head with a notebook in revenge.

“Me?” Makoto yelps as his face flushes.

“Yeah it sounds like it only happens around you. Oh what if… Rei was it? What if Rei-chan has a crush on you?” Nagisa sighs happily at the thought. He’s always been a sucker for those types of love stories.

“Nagisa that’s impossible robots don’t have that level of emotion.” Rin scoffs as he rolls his eyes.

“It could happen.” Nagisa pouts as he takes another bite of his lunch.

“A crush…” Makoto mummers in thought his lunch now long forgotten.

\--

“Do you have emotions?”

Makoto couldn’t help himself. After Nagisa suggested that Rei might be in love he couldn’t let that thought go all day. So after the twins were asleep Makoto found Rei and decided to ask.

“I do not understand the question please rephrase it.”

“Were you programmed to feel human things like sadness, anger, or… love?”

“I do not have such knowledge of anything like that being built into my system.”

“Do you feel anything?”

“That question is too vague I do not understand the question, please elaborate.”

“Do you find yourself feeling human emotions despite your programming?”

“I find myself… curious at times does that answer your question?”

“Curious about what?”

“You.”

“Me?” Makoto shouts before covering his mouth. He glances over to the twins bedroom and sighs in relief when neither twin stirs. He lowers his hand and focuses on Rei again. 

“What about me has you curious?”

“Everything, I know much about Ren and Ran but nothing about you and that… bothers me.”

“Well what would you like to know?” Makoto asks as he grabs Rei’s hand and leads him to the couch so they can sit down. Makoto watches as Rei does that freezing thing again before he looks up at Makoto and smiles at him for the first time.

Robots may or may not be able to fall in love but Makoto sure has fallen for this robot.


End file.
